TIES THAT BIND

~~~

Amid the fabric of their intertwined lives, a memory of their past began to unfurl, a scene drenched in the hues of another time.

A young Draco, aged twelve, wandered through a forest's dappled shade, captivated by an elusive enchantment that pulled him ever closer. His heart raced as he caught sight of her—a vision in white, bathed in the golden embrace of sunlight. It was Serena, eighteen and radiant, a mesmerizing figure that stole his breath away.

Approaching with the grace of a dreamer, his anticipation held in check by an invisible thread, Draco's heart thundered with a mixture of wonder and trepidation. But as he neared, his foot became ensnared in the undergrowth, a cruel twist of fate. Momentarily diverted, he looked down to free himself from nature's grasp.

And just as his gaze lifted, she was gone. Disappeared as if she were an illusion woven by the forest itself. Panic threaded its way through him, and he began to search for the ethereal presence that had so captivated him.

Then, like a wraith from the shadows, she materialized before him, swift and unrelenting. With the sun casting her in a radiance that belied the darkness within, Serena's eyes burned red, her fangs exposed—a portrait of unearthly beauty and predatory grace.

His back collided with a tree, his heartbeats echoing against its ancient bark. She had him, captured by the intensity of her gaze. Her voice, a whisper laced with tension, punctuated the silence as she demanded answers.

"Who are you?" she hissed, her grip on him unyielding. "Why were you watching me?"

Air caught in Draco's throat, his voice a fragile thread as he responded, "Demitri... My name is Demitri. I was just... passing by."

The release came in a heartbeat's eternity, his breath returning with an uneven rhythm as he tried to fathom her, this enigmatic creature whose presence ignited both fascination and a primal instinct to flee.

As he steadied himself, struggling to align his thoughts, her warning sliced through the air. "Do not return."

The forest absorbed her, her figure fading as if drawn into the very essence of the trees. Left alone with the ghostly echo of their encounter.

~~~

Draco descended the stairs from his room, his father seated at the table. "Hey," Draco greeted him.

His father's response was a simple nod, his attention focused on the documents spread out before him. Draco wasn't surprised; their conversations were often sparse and business-like.

Finishing his meal quickly, Draco moved to leave the room, but his father's voice halted him. "Sit, Draco."

Draco obeyed, curiosity piqued. It wasn't often his father initiated conversations.

His father's gaze lifted from the papers, meeting Draco's eyes. "You're nearing your eighteenth birthday."

Draco's brow furrowed slightly. "Yeah, so?"

His father's expression remained inscrutable. "It's time for you to step into your role as a future alpha of the pack."

Draco's confusion deepened. "Okay, but why are you telling me this now?"

His father's eyes bore into his. "You should have started werewolf training long ago. You're behind in your preparations as my successor."

Draco leaned back, incredulous. "Training? Dad, you never cared about that before. Why now?"

His father's gaze turned icy. "That's not the point. What matters is your readiness."

Draco's frustration grew. "Readiness for what?"

His father's tone became more intense. "Your obligations, Draco. You'll attend council meetings with me every Sunday from now on. And you'll train with Robin every evening."

Draco's eyes widened, disbelief mixing with anger. "What? Training with Robin? No way."

His father's voice turned stern. "My decision is final."

Draco's gaze met his father's, a fire burning within his eyes. "And what about what I want?"

His father's face hardened. "You'll do as I say."

Fury surged within Draco, and his patience shattered. "I won't!" With that, he stormed out.

~~~

Serena left the house with her backpack, waiting for Kelly to join her for their walk to school. As she stood there, she heard movement in an alley and went to check it out. In the shadows, she found Draco. When he saw her, he enveloped her in a tight hug, his head buried in the crook of her neck.

"What's wrong?", She asked but he didn't reply.

Eventually, he let go and asked, "Can you spend the day with me?" She reminded him they had school, but seeing the sadness in his eyes, she agreed. They left before Kelly arrived, holding hands as they ran off.

After walking aimlessly for half an hour, they found themselves at the entrance o the amusement park. they shared a look and laughed before they entered

Draco spotted the "High Striker" booth and walked towards it, wanting to impress Serena. The booth owner asked, "Are you human or a werewolf?"

"Werewolf.", Draco replied.

The owner led him to a tower meant for werewolves. Taking the mallet, Draco struck with all his strength, but the puck barely rose halfway. He heard someone snicker, and his cheeks burned red in shame.

"How weak, I'll do it." a voice echoed.

When he came to his senses, he noticed the bell at the top of the tower had rung. Confused, he shook off the strange occurrence and focused on Serena hugging and congratulating him. They moved on to the next game booth, leaving behind the puzzling moment.

~~~

As they continued, Draco and Serena entered a haunted house-themed escape room. They navigated through the eerie atmosphere, laughing and having fun as they evaded the ghosts and solved the puzzles to escape. Finally, they emerged successfully.

Seated on a bench, Serena playfully mocked Draco for getting startled by the ghosts. Draco defended himself, saying, "Well, of course, you weren't scared! You have super speed and could see them coming a mile away." They both shared a laugh, enjoying the lighthearted banter between them.

Serena looked at Draco with concern and asked, "What's bothering you, Draco?" His smile faded as he opened up about what his father had told him.

"Yeah, parents tend to do that, don't they? Make decisions for you and act like it's for your own good" Serena said with a knowing smile.

Draco's expression grew serious. "My father never really cared about me," he admitted. "His only concern is the pack and his favorite beta, Robin."

Serena's brows furrowed in thought. "I think the real issue might be this Robin," she suggested.

Draco nodded in agreement, "Oh he's the absolute worst. One time he swapped my medication with laxatives. I couldn't leave the bathroom for a week. and when I first shifted he took me to the pound saying he found a wild dog. he always trying to harm me in one way or another. "

In a mumbled tone, Serena muttered, "I'll kill him," a coldness flashing in her eyes.

Draco chuckled, thinking she was joking, and told her not to.

But then Serena's tone shifted as she suggested, "You know I can help you train."

Draco stared at her in disbelief. Serena assured him, "Don't underestimate me. you've seen me kill a vampire before."

She proposed, "The training will focus on hunting and killing vampires—something only a vampire can truly understand and excel at."

~~~

Serena and Draco walked back to Serena and Kelly's home. As they entered, they were met with the sight of a furious Kelly. She pointed at Serena, her anger palpable, and commanded, "Sit down."

Turning her attention to Draco, she ordered sternly, "You, get out."

Draco pressed a kiss to Serena's cheek before quickly leaving the house. While on his way home, he began to hear the voice in his head once more, the same one that had taunted him earlier that day.

"You're weak." it echoed.

"Weakling."

"Let me out."

"Release me."

His head felt like it was splitting apart, his wolf form threatening to emerge. He bent over and clutched his head. He almost screamed. The agony and the relentless voice persisted until, after what felt like an eternity, they both subsided, leaving Draco in bewildered relief as if nothing had transpired.

~~~

Back at their cozy home, Kelly's voice carried a mix of frustration and concern as she scolded Serena. "Honestly, Serena, do you even realize how worried I was this morning? You just vanished without a word, and I was left here, wondering if something terrible had happened to you. I thought that mom had-."

"She can't find us. You know that" Serena said softly.

"You don't know that." Kelly countered, "You didn't know Draco would discover our secret. You did know we'd be kidnapping some chick. You promised not to leave me behind but you did." Kelly choked, tears welling up in her eyes.

Serena's expression softened with remorse as she walked over to her sister. "I'm sorry, Kelly. I didn't mean to make you worry like that," she said, her voice filled with genuine regret. "I should have let you know before I left. I won't do it again."

Kelly's frustration eased a little as she looked into Serena's eyes. She sighed, her tone softening as well. "I know you probably had your reasons, but we promised we wouldn't keep things from each other, right?"

Serena nodded, her grip on Kelly's hand tightening. "You're right, Kelly. I should have told you. I promise I won't keep anything from you again. We're in this together."